Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle; 22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970) was a French military general and statesman. He was the leader of Free Franceand the head of the Provisional Government of the French Republic. In 1958, he founded the Fifth Republic and was elected as the 18th President of France, a position he held until his resignation in 1969. He was the dominant figure of France during the Cold War era and his memory continues to influence...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth22 November 1890
CityLille, France
CountryFrance
In the tumult of men and events, solitude was my temptation; now it is my friend. What other satisfaction can be sought once you have confronted History?
History does not teach fatalism. There are moments when the will of a handful of free men breaks through determinism and opens up new roads.
A man of character finds a special attractiveness in difficulty, since it is only by coming to grips with difficulty that he can realize his potentialities.
In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant.
I cannot prevent the French from being French
It is not tolerable, it is not possible, that from so much death, so much sacrifice and ruin, so much heroism, a greater and better humanity shall not emerge.
The leader must aim high, see big, judge widely, thus setting himself apart form the ordinary people who debate in narrow confines.
Nothing more enhances authority than silence. It is the crowning virtue of the strong, the refuge of the weak, the modesty of the proud, the pride of the humble, the prudence of the wise, and the sense of fools. To speak is to . . . dissipate one's strength; whereas what action demands is concentration. Silence is a necessary preliminary to the ordering of one's thoughts.
Silence is the ultimate weapon of power.
When I am right, I get angry. Churchill gets angry when he is wrong. We are angry at each other much of the time.
France has no friends, only interests.
Soyons fermes, purs et fidèles ; au bout de nos peines, il y a la plus grande gloire du monde, celle des hommes qui n'ont pas cédé. [Let us be firm, pure and faithful; at the end of our sorrow, there is the greatest glory of the world, that of the men who did not give in.]
No, I'm not talking about the Russians; I mean the Germans. In spite of everything, to have pushed so far!
The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs.